Surf Clam Possibilities

The best thing about big storms on the northeast shore, is all the shells that wash up on the beach. As children we were sent down to the shore after every storm to search for Surf Clam shells. In the sixties these were in high demand as ash trays. We also used them as soap dishes, spoon rests, and on our bureaus to hold change/jewelry/ golf tees – whatever was in the contents of our pockets at the end of the day. One neighbor edged her garden bed with a line of them. We also used the shards to make spreader knives with a clothespin acting as the handle which we would then cover with twine. Don’t ask me where we got these ideas, I don’t remember, but we were full of them. My best guess is from summer camp crafts or a shell craft library book.

We painted our shells with some kind of paint that was made for painting on glass, that we found at the five and ten. We also used nail polish as a top coat to make them shine. Mostly we painted spouting whales, lighthouses with red stripes and smiley faces – sometimes with googly eyes. We whiled away the hours on the front porch with newspaper underneath our shell canvases. We gave them away as gifts to our grandmother, who always marveled at their beauty. My cousins set up card tables in front of the post office and sold theirs.

Recently, on a trip to the flower market, I came across a shelf of decoupaged surf clams. They were gorgeous and I was smitten. It turns out everyone has been doing this for a while. Etsy shops are full of them. I discovered that even Anthropologie sold decoupaged oyster shells.

Of course, I came home and looked them up on Pinterest and ordered some Modge Podge to try and makes them on my own.

They remind me of the Herend figurines that I use to ogle in the window of Scully & Scully in my old neighborhood.

Somewhere along the way, I inherited a Surf Clam design ash tray made from silver. It is so realistic, that it must have been molded from an actual shell. It is one of my favorite things

Happy Beach Combing

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